OBJECTIVE: to guarantee an equivalent and harmonised level of safety for passenger ships in international traffic from and to European Union ports.
COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council directive 98/18/EC establishing safety rules and standards for passenger ships.
CONTENT: the directive seeks to introduce uniform level of safety of life and property on new or existing passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft engaged on domestic voyages.
The directive will extend the safety standards contained in the Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the harmonised interpretation of these standards established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the standards governing the construction and maintenance of the hull, machinery and installations specified by an authorised classification body to these ships. It also defines procedures for negotiation at international level with a view to harmonisation of the rules for passenger ships engaged on international voyages.
All new or existing passenger ships must carry a passenger ship safety certificate which complies with the present directive. This certificate will be issued by the administration of the flag state following an initial survey before the ship is commissioned.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 4 June 1998
DEADLINE FOR TRANSPOSITION: 1 July 1998.�